Chapter 5, the silver has returned

Pang Xiao clasped his fists and respectfully addressed him.

While a few people were arguing, Old Xue had already wrapped himself in a quilt, horizontally holding the young gentleman as he emerged from the dilapidated temple. Not being foolish, he first turned sideways at the doorway and then stepped out, arriving at the side of the donkey cart

Xue Laoda hurriedly ran over and bent down to stand in front of the elderly man

Zhou Heng suddenly realized that it was because he found the taste of the lotus root quite pleasant

Without waiting for Zhou Heng to finish speaking, Old Xue nodded, turned around, and entered the dilapidated temple

Behind the donkey cart, Xue Laoda was supporting an elderly man, accompanied by several middle-aged men dressed in coarse cloth. Upon seeing Zhou Heng emerge, the elderly man hurriedly took a few steps forward, trembling as he attempted to pay his respects

Zhou Heng guessed that this person would definitely ask these questions, after all, he only looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. Although he was quite tall, his face still appeared somewhat youthful, but he had already made his calculations in his heart

Why embrace?

My wife cooks, but how can she drive

"Yesterday, I saw the old man enter the temple with a sword, and Zhou was somewhat frightened. That was a self-defense statement. This brother Xue lives in Lingshan Village, and he is my neighbor. Yesterday, I was attacked by a villain and fell into the lake, and it was brother Xue who saved me"

Pang Xiao quickly stepped out of the dilapidated temple, and Zhou Heng followed him out.

However, consuming it this way is somewhat bland and not conducive to sales. If improvements are made to turn it into a tasty snack, it could be sold at several times the price. As for the recipe, it seems that some monetary adjustments could also be made.

Indeed

Zhou Heng glanced at Pang Xiao; he had not paid attention to the book yesterday. Now, upon reflection, it seems that he had never extended his left hand.

Pang Xiao raised his gaze towards Zhou Heng, his honesty somewhat unexpected. This statement eased his heart a little once again. If Zhou Heng had claimed that Xue Laoda was his subordinate, it would have instead raised suspicions about this person's intentions.

May I ask how to address the elder?

As he spoke, he stuffed a silver ingot into Zhou Heng's hand. Looking at the silver that had been lost and then regained, Zhou Heng felt somewhat conflicted. Should he... be a bit more courteous?

Pulling on the strap of the suitcase, Zhou Heng yanked it out from the gap, fiddling with the spring lock to open the suitcase. This was indeed a subconscious action, as the first priority for an emergency doctor after receiving supplies is to conduct an inventory.

Take care on your journey

At that moment, the head of the Xue family called out to Xue Lao.

What is going on?

Elderly person, what is the reason for this

Zhou Heng raised his eyes and looked at the man in brocade, who wore a puzzled expression. He forced a smile, shook his head, and said

Just now, Young Master Zhou mentioned that this lotus root can be used to make some special dishes for sale. I would like to send someone to learn about it, but these few individuals are not skilled in cooking

At the moment the box opened, Zhou Heng was stunned

"After I was attacked, I suffered a head injury. Aside from my medical skills, I forgot everything, even the name of my country and towns. Brother Xue told me that I only had a grandfather who passed away last month. I had been in a daze for over a month, which led to the disaster of burning down the tax fields of Lingshan Village. Therefore, I thought of quickly practicing medicine to earn money to repay the villagers. That is why I insisted on charging a consultation fee last night. Now that I think about it, I feel somewhat guilty and hope that Uncle Xiaoshan can forgive me"

My second younger brother at home is unable to cook, so I kindly ask the clan leader to take care of him. I will set off in my vehicle now

"Old Man Xue, if this lotus root is simply boiled and eaten, it will taste somewhat bland and will not be conducive to selling. It would be better to have someone prepare it in several different dishes. Moreover, lotus root itself has therapeutic properties, which can allow it to be sold at a higher price. This way, you can avoid having others follow suit and undercut your sales right after you put it on the market."

The ten taels of silver to cover the loss from the wheat are sufficient. As for your brother Zhang's house, I will find someone to help rebuild it later. Yesterday, Xue Tai brought the lotus roots you dug, and we found them to be very delicious. I believe they can also be sold for money, which is a tremendous blessing for Lingshan Village. How could we allow you to incur any more expenses?

Zhou Heng covered his mouth with his hand and said in a low voice: "That young man has an injury on his leg, and when I treated him, I cut the pant leg of one leg, so..."

Zhou Heng was taken aback, looking at the old man whose eyebrows were completely white, leaning on a cane. He appeared to be at least in his seventies, if not eighty. It seemed a bit excessive for him to pay his respects, so he quickly walked up to the old man and supported his arm.

The man in splendid attire looked up and down at Zhou Heng. Yesterday's actions were taken out of necessity, and he did not expect this person's medical skills to be remarkable. Observing Zhou Heng's candid explanation, his wariness diminished somewhat.

It seems, as Xue Tai said, that you do not recognize the old man anymore. Even after losing your memory, you still think of compensating with silver, which shows you are a person of integrity, possessing the demeanor of your grandfather. Here, take this.

My family is the same

Xue Tai, come here

Amnesia serves as the best excuse, and it is likely that the original owner's grandfather also sought to conceal his identity; otherwise, he would not have found such a secluded mountain village to evade disaster

Since childhood, you have raised Mingyu, taking care of laundry and cooking without a second thought. Why not take this young nobleman and the young master of the Zhou family to Qingping County? In your spare time, you can learn from the young master and then return to teach everyone else. It would also be a good opportunity to protect the young master along the way, especially since he has just recovered from a serious illness. What do you think?

As soon as the words were spoken, a shout was heard at the temple gate

Zhou Heng suddenly remembered that his first aid kit was still hidden inside the main hall, and he turned around and dashed back into the temple

Old Xue turned his head slightly to glance at Zhou Heng, pausing for a moment

Brother Xue, I would trouble you to carry the young master from the temple to the carriage, and remember to wrap him in a quilt

Pang Xiao had already jumped onto the carriage, and the long sword was nowhere to be found. He extended his right hand to catch the young gentleman and placed him onto the carriage

The head of the Xue family turned around to look at everyone, each shaking their heads, revealing expressions of embarrassment.

Elder Xue respectfully introduced, "This is the head of the Xue family from Lingshan Village"

Xiao Bo, there is no need to inquire further. This young doctor Zhou possesses remarkable medical skills. However, his experiences are indeed lamentable. It would be reassuring for him to accompany you during your recuperation in Qingping County.

Saying "clear the way," Old Master Xue had no time for idle chatter, and with the reins of the donkey in hand, he was ready to take the lead

The mixture of truth and falsehood will not raise suspicion

The donkey cart in the village is not that luxurious, but it is covered with thick blankets, as it is meant to transport the injured, and the owner is indeed very attentive

Zhou Heng spoke with exceptional sincerity, after all, both the Xiaobo and that young man clearly did not seem like ordinary people. If one were to inquire a bit, the reason could be discovered; it would be better to explain it oneself.

Sigh

Crawling behind the Buddha statue, he lifted the straw in that hidden spot, and the box was still inside. Zhou Hengchang took a deep breath, relieved that the box was still there, wondering how he could have foolishly dropped it.

Zhou Heng was momentarily at a loss; cooking is not something one can master merely by talking about it. It requires hands-on instruction, and since he needed to go to Qingping County, he did not wish to return to this place for the time being. How should he arrange this?

Old Xue is being polite. Zhou Heng, having been rescued by Brother Xue, finally understands the sequence of events. He has been muddled for quite some time and has caused trouble for the villagers. Additionally, Brother Zhang's house needs repairs, and this money...

Zhou Heng then grasped the hand of the head of the Xue family and said in a low voice

Upon hearing this, the head of the Xue family instantly brightened his eyes

With a sigh and a faint bitter smile, he said

... ...

Upon glancing at the donkey cart, Zhou Heng instantly broke into a smile

Indeed, this thing grows by the lakeside, and one can simply collect it and exchange it for silver. During the farming off-season, or even ordinary women and children can engage in this work, which can be considered a source of external income for the village

In a desolate wilderness, how is it that a person of exceptional medical skill happens to rest here by such coincidence

The head of the Xue family waved his sleeve and looked at Zhou Heng with a smile on his face

Zhou Heng quickly bowed down to the ground, a crying child gets milk, face is worthless, they returned half of the silver to you, what more do you want?

Yes

It is indeed a trap, claiming that the remaining money is needed for the repairs of that house, leaving no room for discussion

Zhou Heng blinked his eyes, if only it were so, wouldn't that mean business is coming again

The old man, with a beaming smile, examined Zhou Heng for a moment and patted his arm

I am surnamed Pang and my given name is Xiao. You may call me Xiao Bo. May I inquire if there are any other individuals in the household of the young doctor Zhou, and whether they are all practitioners of medicine?

Old Xue, how about we find someone skilled in cooking to drive and accompany us to Qingping County? While I treat that young gentleman, I can teach him a few methods for making snacks. Then he can return and teach everyone, so we can collectively sell them. What do you think?

Zhou Heng turned his eyes and smiled at Old Xue, saying

After all, it is uncertain whether this world has identity cards or similar documents like the yellow register. However, each village and county must have statistics on household registration, which pertains to agriculture, military service, and taxation; this is the foundation of the nation

The young man tugged at Pang Xiao's sleeve and said

As soon as I stepped out of the temple gate, I saw a carter with a donkey cart parked in front of the door

Holding a sword, taking out silver, drawing water, all actions are performed with the right hand, could it be that his left arm is injured

This is very good, but how should it be done